A Year To Remember
by j.r.s.b
Summary: H/H, Based on A Walk To Remember. Set in seventh year. Rated for language. COMPLETE!!!
1. Chapter One

A Year To Remember - by grahm_craker_gal  
  
Chapter One  
  
* *Please note that many of the characters' positions have been changed. Harry is very popular, as are the people he hangs out with. Hermione is a friendless book worm. Also, Ginny and Ron are now twins, making her a seventh year also. Just wanted to let you know!* *  
  
It was cold and dark, but that was to be expected, seeing as it was two o'clock in the morning. Harry, Ron, Dean, Seamus, Ginny, Pavarti, and Lavender were all sitting by the lake, waiting for Neville Longbottom to come. They were, in their opinions and according to the general consensus of the school, the coolest group to ever set foot in Hogwarts. Neville, a chubby seventh year, was so eager to join the gang that he had jumped at the chance to fly a broom into the lake to become one of them.  
  
However, Neville was late and Dean was getting impatient. He took a break from making out with Pavarti and asked in an exasperated manner, "He here yet?"  
  
Dean's best friend, Seamus replied, "Nope."  
  
Pavarti, Dean's girlfriend, sat up looking ruffled and said sarcastically, "Maybe you scared him."  
  
Ron unbuckled his belt and said, "Probably. Anyway, I gotta take a massive piss."  
  
The group, used to Ron's immature antics, all looked away in mock disgust. "Dude, do that somewhere else," scoffed Seamus.  
  
Ron shrugged and walked slowly over to some bushes. Harry, who had finished fiddling with the radio, was now also getting bored. "Ok, anyone got any beer?" He asked.  
  
Pavarti replied, "We finished it all back in the dorms, besides, you've had enough." With that she enveloped Dean in a hug and they went back to their previous activity.  
  
Ginny then spoke up with a voice to freeze fire, "I've got one. It's not cold... but it's your's if you want it." Ginny and Harry had gone out for a long time last year, but at the beginning of seventh year, Harry had broken up with her. Ginny was never the nicest person, but after their brake-up she'd become especially mean towards him.  
  
Ron, who returned from his "business" just in time to hear this chuckled and said, "Sure, all you gotta do is sit up, beg, roll over, and shake that booty."  
  
"Thanks a lot, Ron," Ginny icily muttered.  
  
Ron, choosing to ignore this, decided to change the topic to the night's upcoming events. "This is gonna be so sweet," he said.  
  
Dean pushed Pavarti aside again and responded, "I'm glad I thought of it."  
  
"You guys are animals..." Pavarti said, annoyed at being disregarded.  
  
Dean, who took offense to things very easily, started to yell, "Hey! You've been talking shit," and then lowered his voice after Seamus hit him. You never knew what teachers could and couldn't hear. "You've been talking shit the whole time here," he continued in quieter voice, shoving her to the ground, "Why don't you just be quiet?"  
  
"Hey, hey!" said Harry, who held back Dean, "You know how it is."  
  
"What's the matter with you?" whimpered Pavarti from the ground.  
  
Ginny stood up and brushed the dirt off her pants. "Listen, if he's not coming, I want to go to bed."  
  
Dean turned to Ginny and commented, "Hey, Ginny, I got an idea. Why don't you sleep by yourself for once?"  
  
Ginny glared at him and countered, "I wasn't talking to you, Dean." Then she turned back to Harry. "Harry, will you take me back to the dorms?"  
  
Harry was annoyed. Ginny knew it was over between them..  
  
. "You know the answer to that already," he said, looking away.  
  
"Hey," said Seamus, draping his arm around Ginny, "I'd be willing to help you with your, uh, night time preparations," he snickered as his arm drifted downward, "So what do you say, baby?"  
  
Ginny looked disgusted and batted his hand away.  
  
"He's here!" Dean exclaimed excitedly.  
  
Just then, Neville rounded the corner so he was in full view. "What a loser," muttered Ron.  
  
Neville shyly greeted them with a timid "Hi."  
  
"You're late," Dean said as the others snickered, "I told you to be here midnight. It's past two. Think you can remember next time?"  
  
"Yes, of course, sorry," Neville stammered, completely flustered.  
  
"No need to be embarrassed," said Harry, leading him over to a clearing. The others walk behind the two boys, anxious and excited. "Okay, here's the deal," he explained, handing Neville an old school broom "You're gonna take this broom and fly up until I tell you to stop. Make sure you go over the lake. Then, just fly strait down. That's it! Then you're one of us. You ready?" Harry then began to take off his clothes, leaving on just his boxers.  
  
"I guess I'm ready..." Neville said, slightly horrified.  
  
"You GUESS you're ready?" asked Ron.  
  
"Yeah, I'm ready," said Neville, more decisively this time.  
  
"Alright man! Let's do this!" Shouted Seamus.  
  
Neville then follows Harry's lead and takes off his clothes. The two of them grab brooms and go up 150 feet or so.  
  
"It's a piece of cake, man," Harry lied, "Hell, I'm going with you!"  
  
"How... How.. How deep is it?" Asked Neville nervously.  
  
"Don't really know. How 'bout we find out?" replied Harry, hitting him on the arm.  
  
"You've done this?" Asked Neville suspiciously.  
  
"Yeah, we've all done this," Harry reassures him. "On three. Okay, one, two, THREE!"  
  
Clay dives strait down, thinking Harry's with him. Harry, however, stays where he is and watches. Neville hurtles towards the water and makes impact with a huge splash. Everyone laughs, but then Neville's motionless body submerges and everyone's deathly silent.  
  
"Oh my god!" Pavarti gasped.  
  
"Oh shit! Oh, holy shit!" Dean said, shocked.  
  
Ginny, concerned for once in her life, yells, "Harry, he's hurt!"  
  
Pavarti runs after Dean who's gone to the bank of the river. "What the hell happened? Is he okay?" she asked, worried.  
  
"Harry, get down here!" Lavender yelled.  
  
"Dean, Dean what happened?" Pavarti asked again.  
  
"He's hurt," said Ginny, stating the painfully obvious.  
  
"Come on, man!" Ron yelled at Harry, succeeding in making him come down. Harry flew down slowly and dragged Neville out of the water. Everyone gathers around him, he doesn't seem to be breathing.  
  
From behind some bushes comes the voice of Snape, who heard them yelling, "Who's down there?" Snape asks, shuffling into the clearing. Everyone grabs brooms and separates.  
  
Pavarti, who shares a broom with Dean mutters, "I told you not to do this!"  
  
Harry looks back at Neville before mounting his broom. In that instant Snape recognizes him and goes after him with his own broom, which is a whole lot faster than the school broom Harry's using. Harry quickly gets caught by Snape, who has a satisfied gleam in his eye.  
  
"Mr. Potter, caught in the act," Snape says coyly, dragging Harry after him, "Wonder how much Rita Skeeter'll like you now..."  
  
* * * *  
  
(By the way, Sirius has had his name cleared and can visit Hogwarts)  
  
Sirius sat in the deserted Gryffindor common room. After a few minutes, Harry limped out of his room and down the steps. Sirius looked at him with a mixture of disapproval and disappointment.  
  
"You know, Sirius, my leg really hurts. Maybe I should go back with you for a week or so?" Harry suggested hopefully.  
  
"I sincerely doubt you'll be having any visitations any time soon," replied Sirius.  
  
There was a long and uncomfortable pause. "What would your parents think?" asked Sirius bitterly.  
  
"I don't know, I never met the people," said Harry briskly as he left the room.  
  
* * * *  
  
The school is filtering in to the Great Hall for Saturday breakfast. Harry and his friends are talking at the Gryffindor table. A few people are looking over at them, some with disdain and others with amazement.  
  
"How's your leg?" Ron asks Harry.  
  
"It's been better."  
  
"I still can't believe you had to talk to the whole staff!" says Pavarti, sitting on Dean's lap.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, what'd you tell them?" asked Ron, somewhat apprehensive.  
  
Harry sighed, "All I said was that it was a nice night and I ended up by the lake. I saw Longbottom and tried to give him some help. You know, I kept it short and sweet. Didn't want to get freaked out and spill."  
  
"I gotta hand it to you man," Ron laughed, "You are the jedi-master of bullshit!" Ron and Harry did a hand shake as they cracked up.  
  
As they were laughing, Hermione Granger walked through the massive doors. She looked nerdy as usual. She wore a knit sweater over her Hogwarts vest, a long skirt that only first years were required to wear, and her bushy hair was tied back in a modest, fluffy ponytail. "That Hermione Granger's sure got style," remarked Ginny sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, I think she's worn the same thing since first year," said Lavender.  
  
"Hey, it's the quiet ones you gotta watch out for. I mean, hey, man, she might put it on you like a pop-tart!" Ron exclaimed, making the others cringe, "But maybe she wouldn't look too bad, you know?"  
  
As Hermione walked by, most of them were still laughing.  
  
"Hey, you," Ginny said stingingly, "Nice sweater."  
  
"Thank you," replied Hermione softly as she continued walking.  
  
"Thank you!" mimicked Ron in a high, saturated voice, sending the group into renewed hysterics.  
  
* * * *  
  
Harry was seated in Dumbledore's office, looking around at the portraits of past headmasters. Dumbledore entered and sat down across from Harry, as he summoned four empty bottles to his desk.  
  
"A student claims you were drinking the night of the incident. Lucky for you, Mr. Longbottom isn't talking. His grandmother isn't placing any charges... at least not today. I assured her I'd arrange an appropriate punishment."  
  
"Oh, what are you gonna do? Expel me?" Harry asked incredulously, leaning back in his chair.  
  
"Not yet," remarked the professor, "Besides attending ALL, and I mean all, of your classes, you will help our janitorial staff after your lessons, without magic."  
  
"For pay," Harry verified aloud.  
  
"No, merely for the inner satisfaction it brings," Dumbledore said, "And on Saturday mornings you will help to tutor some of the younger students who have fallen behind. And finally, you will participate in the Drama Club's musical."  
  
"The musical?" Harry asked, disbelievingly.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Potter, the musical. It's high time you started experiencing new things and spending time with other types of people."  
  
As Dumbledore saw a depressed Harry Potter out of his office, he muttered, "Don't blow it, Harry."  
  
Authors Note:  
  
This story is based on the movie A Walk To Remember. I'd like to thank for supplying me with a script to the movie, which this story is hugely based on. Harry Potter isn't mine and neither is AWTR, both of which are property of their respective owners. I'd also like to thank anyone who read this and especially anyone who leaves a comment.  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!! You have no idea how nice it is to get a review! So if you want me to continue with this story, please, please, please review. Thanks!  
  
Till next chapter,  
  
grham_craker_gal 


	2. Chapter Two

A Year To Remember - By grahm_craker_gal  
  
Chapter Two  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. The plot belongs to A Walk To Remember and the characters belong Harry Potter. By the way, the rest of the story will be in Harry's point of view!  
  
I couldn't believe it! Dumbledore had me sweeping every single floor in Hogwarts, merely for the inner satisfaction it brings. What crap! Anyway, I was now sweeping a random classroom where Hermione Granger head girl and major loser was giving a tutoring lesson to some younger kids.  
  
"Now, there is a simple spell that will enable you to have nearly perfect viewing of outer space. Can anyone tell me what it is?" she asked the children in her naturally sugar-coated voice.  
  
"Aemus stellatus," I mumbled. It's not like I'm completely stupid.  
  
Hermione looked over at me, surprised and puzzled. I'm sure she thought there wasn't an intelligent thought in my head. Well, maybe not. I don't think Hermione Granger would even think something bad about another person. She was far too Christian. Most people at Hogwarts didn't practice a religion, but she was always clutching her sacred bible and wearing her cross necklace.  
  
Hermione cleared her throat and continued, "Yes, the spell is Aemus stellatus and it will greatly enhance your ability to see planets and stars and such."  
  
Just then Dean, Seamus, and Ron came in, imitating me sweeping and laughing at me like I was a total loser. "Bet you can see angles up there flying around," Dean said to Hermione, sarcastically. Dean was always vehemently anti-religious.  
  
"In fact, there are some things that can be called miraculous," she countered, "Merlin even said that the more he studied the universe, the more he believed in a higher power."  
  
"Well, well, well," Dean started just as critically as before, "IF there is a higher power, then why is it he can't get you a new sweater?" This sent Ron and Seamus into fits of laughter for some reason I didn't find it funny. Most people started crying when Dean insulted them, I wondered what Hermione would do.  
  
"He's too busy looking for your brain," she replied so softly I wasn't even sure I had heard her. I guess there was a little personality in Hermione Granger after all. Dean, however, didn't like this side of her. He stood there rigid, looking a little hurt. This was strange because Dean seemed almost impenetrable to me.  
  
"C'mon man, laugh, it's a joke," I kidded, hitting Dean lightly on the arm.  
  
"Man, c'mon, let's get out of here," Dean said, removing is icy gaze from Hermione, who was now instructing a pupil who was having difficulty.  
  
"I can't, gotta stay," I responded.  
  
Dean, sighed, annoyed at my idiocy. "Man, Dumbledore's gone to the ministry, let's bust this joint!" Dean explained eagerly. I wasn't so sure. I somehow thought of Dumbledore as knowing everything, especially the exact whereabouts of his students.  
  
"Ahh, I." I fumbled for an excuse.  
  
"Come on!" Dean exclaimed, getting genuinely annoyed.  
  
"Yeah man, let's get out of here," said Ron encouragingly.  
  
"I don't know, doesn't itty-bitty Harry-warry look so cute sweeping?" Said Seamus, talking like a grandparent while pinching my cheeks. I batted him away looked over at Hermione for some reason. It wasn't as if she'd tell Dumbledore I'd skipped out. It was odd, as I was looking at her, I thought I'd seen her looking back at me. If she had though, she'd turned away very quickly and resumed her work.  
  
My friends walked out, looking behind them to make sure I was coming. After debating the issue quickly, I put down the broom and ran after them.  
  
* * * *  
  
I had no idea why I was here. I was now dropping off Ginny at her room. As if she couldn't go alone. It's weird between the two of us because I know it's over between us, but I also know Ginny still has something for me. I wish she wouldn't put me in this position, but she asked right as I was talking to Ron. And it's not like I could refuse with her brother standing right there. I heaved a deep sigh as we got to her door. "So, I'll see you later?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't be in the mood to talk. Too bad. Ginny's always in the mood to talk.  
  
"Well," she said suggestively, "None of my roommates are here if you want to come in."  
  
I hated this, having to do this. She KNEW it was over. "Come on Ginny, nothing's changed," I stated simply, hoping she'd take the hint.  
  
"I know, it's just that-" she began but I cut her off before she could continue.  
  
"It's over," I said coolly.  
  
For a minute Ginny looked like she was going to cry, but then she got over it. "Yeah, whatever, see you later," she said as she slammed the door behind her.  
  
* * * *  
  
One of my few good habits is that I always remember to set my alarm clock. I had the kind that you pre-recorded messages on and set for a time. This Saturday morning I wished I'd forgotten to set the damn thing.  
  
At eight in the morning, which is far too early for any sane person to be awake, I heard my voice saying "Come on man. Harry, wake up. Come on. Up, up, up, up, up!"  
  
I rolled over and buried by head in my pillow. "Saturday, no school," I muttered to the machine.  
  
"Tutoring," my voice nearly yelled. I picked the stupid thing up and threw it against the wall. I hate alarm clocks.  
  
* * * *  
  
By the time I got ready, I was already ten minutes late, so I had to sprint to the classroom designated for tutoring, which happened to be at the other end of the castle. I was now sitting with some stupid second year who couldn't understand summoning charms. "Ok, let's try this again?" I said with a total lack of passion, "All you say is Accio, it's simple, just try it."  
  
The kid stood up and pushed on the desk, sending papers and books flying, "Man, I think this is bullshit," he yelled as he stormed out of the room. I met Hermione's eyes and she seemed disappointed, like she had expected better.  
  
"That makes two of us," I muttered after the kid, burying my head in my hands.  
  
* * * *  
  
After another hour of tutoring, Hermione and I were required to escort the students back to their houses. I was walking behind the group, hoping no one would see me. Hermione came over to me and began to walk beside me. Oh god, I thought, please don't let anyone see me.  
  
"Hey," she said, smiling. I looked away, trying to ignore her, "Do you want to buy some raffle tickets?" she continued after seeing I wasn't going to be one for conversation, "There to support the poor of wizarding London."  
  
"No."  
  
"So," she continued, obviously not aware that I definitely didn't want to talk to her, "I saw you in there with Luis," who didn't I thought to myself miserably, "I know it can be very difficult. But, maybe you should try backing into it from some where else."  
  
I didn't say anything. Did this girl honestly think I wanted to talk about tutoring some loser second year?  
  
"Are you going to visit Neville?" she asked after a few minutes. Again I didn't respond. I definitely didn't want to talk about Longbottom. "That would be a no," she said, correctly interpretating the wary look I gave her, "You do know they're allowing him visitors now, don't you?"  
  
"Is this your idea of small talk or something?" I asked harshly, "Because if it is, your social skills need some work." I looked over at her, she was looking at the ground and appeared to be afraid. "Listen, no one forced him to jump," I said, mostly to myself.  
  
"It's called peer pressure," she responded softly, still looking at the floor.  
  
"And how do you know about that?" I asked, just as meanly, "Did you read it in your precious bible?"  
  
I could tell I'd just it a nerve. She closed her eyes and didn't speak for almost a whole minute. "Please don't pretend like you know me, alright?"  
  
"Oh, but I do, I do," I started, "We've been in the same house since first year. Why, you're Hermione Granger. You sit at the far end of the table. That isn't exactly the reject place, but is definitely in self-exile territory. You wear exactly one sweater. You're head girl. You get full marks in everything. You look at your feet when you walk. Oh, oh, and for fun you like to tutor on the weekends and hang out with the cool kids in the Drama Club. Now how does that sound?" I asked, satisfied.  
  
"Fairly predictable, nothing I haven't heard before," she said, looking up finally.  
  
I was confused. And curious. "You don't care what people think about you?" I asked as we got to the portrait of the fat lady.  
  
"Huffleumps," she said to the portrait as it swung aside, the she turned to me. "No, I don't," she said honestly. Then she entered the common room, leaving me out in the hall, completely befuddled by Hermione Granger.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE Well, that's all for this chapter! I know it's short, but I'm really tired and I only had a limited amount of time. Well, I hope you liked it. I'd like to thank Fatima, MissLexiRe, Sucker for Romance, jandl, Jamie, drawwilhoit, and hpdancer92 for reviewing. Thank you very much!  
  
PLEASE REVIEW! I won't post again until I get eight reviews, so start sending them now!  
  
Thanks for reading!  
  
Grahm_craker_gal 


	3. Chapter Three

A Year To Remember - By grahm_craker_gal  
  
Chapter Three  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely nothing. The plot is from A Walk to Remember and the characters are from Harry Potter. By the way, this is still in Harry's POV.  
  
"Well, I don't know what your problem is man. You know, Granger might have some nice hoo hoos hidden under that sweater, man," Ron said as he walked with me towards the Drama Club's meeting room. I couldn't believe I was going to have to be involved with the stupid musical! Why couldn't Dumbledore have just expelled me?  
  
"That's bullshit and you know it man," I replied, wallowing in self-pity.  
  
"I can't wait to see you in some stage makeup," Ron said, closing his eyes as if he were imagining it, "That's gonna be cool."  
  
I sighed. I hadn't even thought about the makeup. Just another horrible part of the deal. Well, maybe they'd just make me do the curtains or something. "Be back here in an hour, ok? Don't flake," I told him, knowing full well the chance of Ron actually being here were slim to none.  
  
"Yeah, well, we'll see," he said.  
  
* * * *  
  
By the time I got in the room, the instructor, Professor Andronicus had already started her little talk. As I walked down the hall, I could hear her voice saying, "This year's musical is a story of murder, sin, and injustice. It follows the life of a young woman trying to make it as a jazz singer. This lady would kill to get noticed, literally." It was then I shuffled in the door, hoping to go unnoticed. No such luck. "Mr. Potter, better late than never. Please, join us," she said to me.  
  
"Why not?" I said, plopping myself down in a chair. By this point all the drama geeks in the club were looking at me, puzzled. They were wondering why the hell Harry Potter, the most popular guy in school, was taking part in the musical of all things. I was wondering that myself, also.  
  
"Now then," Professor Andronicus continued, "let's see. Hermione Granger will be our Roxie, the small town girl trying to make it in big Chicago and making guys drop like flies while doing it. Susan Bones will be Velma, the infamous murderess and soulful jazz singer. hmm, let me see. Harry Potter will read Billy." This had to be wrong. Billy was the lead male part. I couldn't be Billy!  
  
"What?" I asked in disbelief, "No, no, see I didn't plan on acting or singing or anything."  
  
"Well, now, that's too bad, isn't it Mr. Potter," said the professor, "Commence with the read through!"  
  
* * * *  
  
I still couldn't believe I was here. And now I was reading through the part of Billy Flynn. It was horrible. "Any news on the date of my trial?" Asked Hermione.  
  
"No, no word from the district attorney on the trial, but you'll be great whenever it is," I read, monotonously.  
  
"Oh, Billy, what'll happen if I don't get off?" She asked, sounding scared and hopeless, exactly like she was supposed to.  
  
"Don't worry about a thing doll face," I read in the same, unmoved voice, "I've never lost a case."  
  
"Mr. Potter," Professor Andronicus interrupted sharply, "Are you trying to be bat at this?"  
  
"Oh no," I replied, "It just come naturally." A few people laughed, but most just glared.  
  
Professor Andronicus studied me for a while longer, then sighed and said, "All right, that's all for today, you're dismissed."  
  
Thank god, I thought. Just as I was leaving, I saw a cloud of people flock towards Hermione. All of them were telling her how wonderful she was and how great she was for the part. I looked over at her briefly and saw her staring at me. I decided to ignore it and go outside to look for Ron.  
  
I left the meeting room and saw no sign of Ron anywhere. Just like him. He was probably off somewhere snogging with some random girl. Just as I was leaving to go back to the common room, I heard Hermione call after me, "Wait, Harry! Wait up!" For some reason I decide to humor her and wait. She slowly walked over to me and asked, "So, would it kill you to try?"  
  
I should have known something like that was coming. "Yup," I replied, "And I'm too young to die."  
  
"Okay," she started, "So you don't care about classes or graduating, but you like school because you're popular and you'll never be on top again."  
  
That was harsh. Harsh, but true. The more I thought about it the more obvious it became, but I couldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing that. "That's thoroughly predictable," I said, imitating one of her responses.  
  
"You're act only works on an audience," she told me sincerely.  
  
* * * *  
  
I was stuck in herbology. None of my friends were there because, in their usual fashion, they had decide to cut class in favor of sitting around and hanging out. I, however, was unable to join them because Dumbledore strictly told me that I had to attend all of my classes. And Professor Sprout was now telling us that we had to pair up. That was great, I didn't want to be with any of these losers. The only person I had actually spoken to was Hermione. So, I decided to ask her to partner with me. "Hey," I said as I tapped her on the shoulder, "Feeling Christian?" I asked, hoping she would consent to be my partner.  
  
She sighed, sized me up and finally said yes. Our assignment was to magically merge two plants into one. We finished early and Professor Sprout was off somewhere helping some student, so we had to stay in the greenhouse.  
  
"Forty-Two," she said after a while.  
  
I was confused. Was forty-two some secret code? "Forty-two, what. What do you mean forty-two?" I asked.  
  
"Forty-two is help someone you don't like," she said looking at me inconspicuously, "It's a To-Do list I have exempt from my life," she further explained.  
  
"What? Like getting a new personality?" I scoffed.  
  
"Hmmm. Spend a year in the Peace Corps, make a medical discovery," she started.  
  
"That's ambitious," I interrupted sarcastically; she ignored my comment.  
  
"Be in two places at once," she continued, "Get a tattoo."  
  
This was getting interesting. Perhaps there was more to Hermione Granger than everyone thought. "What's number one?" I asked, curiously.  
  
"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," she joked as I was left wondering about this mysterious girl next to me.  
  
* * * *  
  
I couldn't believe it, but there were only three weeks until the musical. I was okay with most of the songs and the dances, but I was having difficulty learning my spoken lines. After much pleading on my part, I had convinced Ron to help me with them. We were now in the common room and Ron was reading the part of Velma in a very perfunctory manner. "I just read what I'm told to read," he said as if he were impersonating a robot.  
  
"Were you given the diary by anyone? Who gave you this diary?" I asked with a surprising amount of feeling. Chicago is actually a good play once you get over the cheesiness.  
  
"I can't do this shit!" Ron cried out, getting frustrated. Apparently, Velma wasn't the part for Ron.  
  
I was annoyed, "Come on man, C'mon. You know I only have three weeks to memorize this stuff!" I exclaimed, hoping to get Ron back on track.  
  
"You couldn't pull this shit off if you had three months, man. Deniro couldn't even make this shit work!" Ron complained.  
  
"Look, I didn't write, okay?"  
  
"No," Ron started, "But you're the one who's gonna make a jackass out of himself in front of the whole school."  
  
"Look, I don't have a choice, so will you just help me out please?" I asked, controlling my desire to slap Ron upside the head.  
  
"You know I'm just kidding, right?" Ron asked, reassuringly, "I'm going to be there opening night, front row and you can count on it." he gave me a lose hug, "With tomatoes!"  
  
"Thanks man," I said, feeling less worried.  
  
"No problem," Ron replied. Hey, whatever shit happens to me, at least Ron'll always be on my side.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I had some extra time, and I was bored, so here it is! This chapter had some more language in it and I'm sorry, but that's the way the movie goes and if I censored it, it just wouldn't feel right. So, I'm sorry if that bugs anyone, but that's the way it goes.  
  
I'd like to thank AllStar628, Sunny, CryHope, hpdancer92, Sailor J-chan, and Brazilianfan for reviewing. You're name can be up here, too if you click the little review button at the bottom. By the way, I can't tell you whether or not Hermione is going to die in the end, because that'll just ruin the surprise, and then what would you read for?  
  
Anyways, please, please, please, PLEASE REVIEW! I want nine reviews before I update again. Thanks! By the way, you guys have been great readers. I also want to thank NickyGirl who put me on her favorite author list. Thank you, I'm flattered.  
  
Until next chapter,  
  
Grahm_Craker_Gal 


	4. Chapter Four

A Year To Remember - By grahm_craker_gal  
  
Chapter Four  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything!  
  
As much as I liked Ron, he wasn't the most helpful person when you needed assistance preparing for some stupid school musical. So, I decided to think of other options. My mind logically went to Hermione, who was in many of the same scenes as me and I was sure wouldn't object to helping me. However, I couldn't have it known that I was hanging out with Hermione Granger of all people, so I decided our practices would have to be kept secret. Well, that is if she agreed to them at all. I finally got the chance to ask her as I was coming back from Transfiguration. She was a few paces in front of me, so I quietly called, "Hermione, wait!"  
  
She obliged, but when she saw who had spoken, she looked as though she wished she hadn't. "What do you want Potter?" she asked, "I've known you for years, you've never been the first one to come up and say hello."  
  
I sighed, knowing it was true. I hadn't been the nicest person over the past few years. "I, well, you see," I began slowly. For some reason I have a problem asking for help.  
  
"Well, what is it?" she asked. I could tell she was annoyed at me for wasting her time.  
  
"I need help with my lines," I spat out quickly.  
  
Her face softened and she laughed a little. "The great Harry Potter is asking ME for help?" she asked disbelievingly.  
  
"Yes," I said looking down at the floor. Why did she have to make this so hard?  
  
"Alright," she said seriously, "I'll pray for you."  
  
"Hermione!" I exclaimed exasperatedly, "No, look, I really need help-"  
  
She interrupted me and said, "You've obviously never asked anyone for help before, right? A request like yours requires flattery and groveling. It can't be all about you. It has to be for the common good of everybody."  
  
"It is for the common good," I responded, "Bob Fosse deserves the best." There was a short silence. I decided to add in what I hoped was a sincere sounding "Please?"  
  
She sighed, I could tell she was relenting, "Okay, but on one condition," she said.  
  
"What's that I?" I inquired, hoping it wasn't anything too awful.  
  
"You have to promise you won't fall in love with me," she said gravely.  
  
I laughed at the absurdity of the last statement. Me? Fall in love with Hermione Granger? "I don't think that'll be a problem," I said.  
  
* * * *  
  
That night I knocked on the door to her room. Since she was Head Girl she had her own room, separated from the other seventh year Gryffindor girls. After a few seconds, she opened the door to her immaculately clean room. "Uh, hey," I said uncomfortably, looking around to make sure no one saw me.  
  
"Hi," Hermione said, greeting me with a smile.  
  
"So are you gonna keep me out here all afternoon or what?" I asked, making her blush.  
  
She replied hastily, "Come on in," as she opened the door wider, "my script's in my bedroom, so I'll be right back, make your self at home."  
  
As she left to retrieve her script, I looked around the area she used as a living room. There were some pictures and figurines of Jesus, but there were also a set of framed watercolors signed with Hermione's name. I didn't know she was an artist.  
  
When she came back she said, "Ready?"  
  
"Yeah, let's go," I replied with a sigh getting ready for what I anticipated as torture.  
  
* * * *  
  
I left Hermione's room after two and a half surprisingly enjoyable hours and went into the common room, where my friends had monopolized the good seats in front of the fire. I walked over to them and plopped myself down in an easy chair.  
  
"Harry, you're back!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Sup?" I asked.  
  
"Where've you been?" Ron questioned me.  
  
"No where," I lied quickly.  
  
Ron sized me up, evaluating my response. Apparently it didn't fly. "Hey, let's talk okay?" he commanded, hauling me out of my seat and walking over to a deserted side of the common room, by the staircases.  
  
"What's up?" I asked, hoping Ron wouldn't do a full on interrogation.  
  
"Are we cool?" He asked, gesturing between the two of us.  
  
"Yeah, sure," I said unconvincingly. But evidently it was good enough for Ron because we did our handshake and headed up to our dorm.  
  
* * * *  
  
It was nearly two in the morning and I couldn't get to sleep. So I decided to take a little trip to the astronomy tower. I went there sometimes when I had nightmares or simply couldn't sleep, like tonight. For some reason, looking at the stars made your problems seem small and insubstantial. After walking for a while, covered in the safety of my invisibility cloak, I got to the tower and creaked open the door. Inside I saw Hermione Granger, sitting on a bench, looking at the sky. "What the hell?" I whispered, as I removed the cloak.  
  
She heard me and jumped up, but then calmed down when she saw it was only me. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked.  
  
"I should ask you the same question," I responded, "Do you normally go up into towers in the middle of the night?"  
  
"Maybe," she answered mysteriously. Then she got up and started walking towards a wall.  
  
"What the. Where are you going?" I questioned  
  
"Come and see," she said over her shoulder as she tapped a few stones with her wand and they vanished, revealing a secret room containing a big telescope.  
  
I followed after her, curiosity getting the best of me. "Okay, what is that?" I asked, pointing to the telescope.  
  
"This is my telescope," she responded, "I built it in second year. Take a look."  
  
I obliged and saw a clear picture of Saturn. "Saturn. very cool," I told her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm planning on building a bigger one so I can see the comet Maguscrinis. It comes this spring, but nobody knows when it's coming back," she told me.  
  
"Aww, nature's miracles," I joked, "I get it."  
  
"Get what?" she asked.  
  
"That you're into all that stuff," I explained.  
  
"That stuff?" she repeated, looking down at her telescope, "I, I have my beliefs, I have my faith. But don't you?"  
  
After a pause I told her, "No, there's too much bad shit in this world."  
  
"Without suffering there would be no compassion," she argued.  
  
"Yeah, well, tell that to people who suffer," I countered. Like she really knew what suffering was.  
  
* * * *  
  
I was hanging out in the common room with my friends when Hermione walked by.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Virgin Mary," Ginny said callously.  
  
"Oh, dude, here comes your leading lady," Ron teased me.  
  
Then my life took a turn for the worst. Had Hermione just walked by everything would have been fine. But she didn't. She asked, "Hey Potter, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon?"  
  
I had to think fast. "Yeah, in your dreams," I said spitefully. I looked up at her, hoping she'd understand. No such luck. Hurt filled her big brown eyes and I almost thought she was going to cry.  
  
"Yeah, where's your sweater?" Ron asked, making the group laughed harder. Hermione walked away and I laughed along with my friends weakly, but I couldn't forget that look in her eyes for some reason.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: All right, I know I said no update until nine reviews, but I caved. Oh well. I hope you liked this chapter and that you'll review it. I can't say how important reviewing is. It makes you feel as if you're doing something worthwhile and that you're not just doing all this work and no one's reading it. So, PLEASE REVIEW!  
  
THANK YOUS:  
  
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-broadwaystr666 ~ I try to spell things correctly. No guarantees of perfection, but I also think it's hard to read something when every other word is misspelled.  
  
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-Fatima  
  
Want your name up here? Review!  
  
Until I update again,  
  
Grahm_Craker_Gal 


	5. Chapter Five

A Year To Remember - by grahm_craker_gal  
  
Chapter Five  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.  
  
I couldn't very well leave things like that with Hermione. Firstly, if she didn't help me with my lines, I'd make a complete fool of myself in the musical. Secondly, for some reason it didn't seem right to hurt her like that and not apologize. That's odd, because my friends will tell you that I'm one of the least sympathetic guys ever. But there's just something that was nagging at my conscience.  
  
I decided to go to her room, like usual, hoping she'd forgive me and continue our practices. I nervously knocked on the door, hoping desperately for some understanding on her part. After a few seconds Hermione opened the door with her normal smiling face. However, when she saw me, her face changed from open kindness to complete anger and she closed the door in my face.  
  
"Come on, Hermione. Open the door!" I said leaning on the said object. Suddenly it sprang back from under me as she reopened the door crossly. "Whoa!" I exclaimed.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked coldly.  
  
I stepped back, nervous, "You're not in a good mood," I said, stating the obvious.  
  
"Gee," she started, "You don't miss a thing."  
  
"Listen, Hermione, I was hoping we could run lines together," I said hopefully.  
  
"Okay, but just so no one know, right?" she said sarcastically.  
  
I took a stab in the dark, hoping to somehow persuade her, "I was thinking I could surprise them with how good I got," I said.  
  
Hermione smiled, as if she understood. I smiled too, thinking I had won her over. "Just like we could be secret friends," she said, sounding like she caught on.  
  
I was ecstatic. It looked like she was going to forgive me after all. "Exactly, exactly!" I exclaimed, "It's like you're reading my mind!"  
  
Her face then dropped and she said seriously, "Great, maybe you can read mine?" She was so angry she forgot to even close the door as she stormed away.  
  
"Hermione. Hermione, I can't just be your friend!" I called after her, wishing she'd see my logic.  
  
She turned around and said angrily, "Look, Harry. I thought I saw something in you. Something good. But I was wrong. Very wrong." Then she slammed the door, leaving me staring at the oak wood.  
  
I pounded on the door, even more frusterated then before. "Hermione! Dammit!" I exclaimed as I walked back to my dorm to run lines by myself.  
  
* * * *  
  
It was Saturday again and that meant tutoring. I was stuck with the same stubborn second year I had attempted to tutor the last time. But something was different now. I was actually trying, and I think I was getting through to him. He and I were out on the Quidditch pitch, flying around as I was teaching him summoning charms once again.  
  
"Okay," I said to him, "I'm going to throw this up and I want you to summon it, alright?" He nodded and I threw it. Miraculously, when he uttered, 'Accio' the quaffle actually came to him.  
  
"Good job," I praised, "Now, I'm going to hold on to it, and I want you to summon it out of my hands."  
  
I could see him concentrating and harnessing his strength. After he said the charm, I could feel the ball quivering to get out of my grasp. Then, it suddenly broke out of my hand and flew over to him.  
  
"Yes! Yes!" I cried happily, "Alright, enough of this, let's play!"  
  
I didn't see it then, but from in the tutoring room the usually drawn blinds were parted slightly and Hermione Granger was peaking out of them, not wanting to look at me, but at the same time amazed at how I had been transformed.  
  
* * * *  
  
I kept on thinking about all the conversations I had with Hermione. I, for some reason, kept on remembering the first time we'd talked and she'd told me that I should apologize to Neville Longbottom. After thinking it over, I decided to visit him in the hospital wing.  
  
After being ushered in by a wary Madame Pomfrey, I was alone with Neville who was sitting in his bed, reading a book. He didn't even look up when I came in.  
  
I cleared my throat and said, "I came to say I'm sorry."  
  
Neville didn't look up. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, he responded, "Well, you did. Do you feel any better?"  
  
"No," I said truthfully, "I still feel like shit."  
  
"You know what?" Neville asked, finally putting down the book, "I actually thought I wanted to be your friend." He smiled and nodded, as if reminiscing. "And now I have no idea why. No idea."  
  
"I made that flight once. I thought I was a bad ass. I actually remember saying I meant to belly flop," I said, remembering the night I flew into the lake.  
  
Neville look rather interested and asked, "Did it hurt?"  
  
I replied honestly, "Like Hell."  
  
"Good," he responded as he picked up his book and I left.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
  
I'm sorry this chapter is so short and I'm sorry for the slight pause in updates. However, since I'm close to the end of school, my teachers are swamping me with work. Grrr. anyhow, I hope you liked this chapter, as short as it was, and I hope you'll review it. The next chapter will be the play, so get ready!  
  
THANK YOUS:  
  
-hpdancer92  
  
-AllStar628  
  
-Butterflysky ~ I'm not Christian either, so I know how you feel. I tried to sort of downplay the religious aspect because I know everyone has their own beliefs, but I also want to stick to the storyline.  
  
-Sassy ~ I'd be interested to see this other story, I haven't come across it while reading yet. I'm glad you like the story!  
  
-CryHope ~ And here's your name up here again! By the way, I fixed the little mess up. I just had a bit of a brain fart.  
  
-Fatima  
  
-Kat ~ I'm sorry you were distracted by my mess up, but I fixed it!  
  
-NymphGirl  
  
-drawwilhoit  
  
-broadwaystr666 ~ that was one of the nicest reviews I have ever gotten, thank you so much for putting me on your favorites list. I am extremely flattered!  
  
-mel  
  
-Maggie O  
  
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PLEASE REVIEW!  
  
Until next post,  
  
Grahm_Craker_Gal 


	6. Chapter Six

A Year To Remember - By grahm_craker_gal  
  
Chapter Six  
  
I had been sitting backstage for about 45 minutes, waiting for my entrance. I was hot and sweat and covered with horrid stage make-up. I was so dressed up, even I didn't recognize myself! I was wearing a stiff suit and a 20s style hat. I thought I looked like a mafia member. That, or some loser teenager who was forced into a school musical.  
  
I hadn't seen Hermione yet, and I wasn't sure I wanted to. We hadn't really talked since the whole ordeal a few weeks ago. After realizing she wasn't going to help, I put my mind to memorizing my lines, and I think I did pretty well.  
  
I could hear the lines that were right before my entry. The theater went dark, signaling the beginning of a musical number. The number I was in. I ran and took my place at the top of the stage. The lights slowly faded on. I heard the chorus girls sing the beginning of the song as the curtain in front of me raised slowly.  
  
"And ooh what luck, Cause here he comes!" they sang, signaling the start of my part.  
  
"I don't care about expensive things, Cashmere coats, or diamond rings, Don't mean a thing. All I care about is love" I sang. Although almost no one knew it, I had a pretty good voice. Before Hogwarts, I had been enrolled in a musical class and they had taught me how to sing well. I continued singing until the number was over. From looking out at the audience, I could tell they were amazed. They obviously had no idea that the famous Harry Potter could sing.  
  
The after my number I sauntered down stage to have a short conversation with Hermione's character, Roxie. I turned around and saw her for the first time that evening. I was blown away. She looked amazing. Her hair was temporarily dyed and shortened in a 20's style. She looked fabulous.  
  
"Mr. Billy Flynn! Mr. Flynn! Please, wait!" she cried as I was leaving the stage.  
  
My voice caught in my throat. I pulled it together and said, "Mrs. Hart I presume? You're the, the beautiful one I was told about?" I knew the word beautiful wasn't in the script and she knew it too. I could see in her eyes she was confused.  
  
She waited a few seconds before responding with a "Yes." From the audience, you couldn't tell but we were having a very intense moment I guess. It wasn't what was spoken out loud. It was what she said to me with her eyes. I remember some telling me eyes were the windows to the soul. I'd never understood it until now.  
  
* * * *  
  
I had made it through most of the play with no major mistakes. However, now was the big test. It was right before the courtroom scene, the one where I played the biggest part. It was just after admission and the second act started with Hermione and I in my office right before going into the court.  
  
"Oh Billy, I'm scared. What if they let me hang?" Hermione asked, totally enveloped in her character.  
  
"Don't worry about a thing, doll-face. You'll be great." I said encouragingly. I was now supposed to give her a hug before starting another musical number. However, when I went in for the hug, something came over me. Instead of merely hugging her, I bent down and kissed her squarely on the lips. The audience exploded with cheers and wolf-whistles. This was definitely NOT in the script! I felt her pull away at first, but then she thought better of it and continued our kiss.  
  
The lights went out, signaling the pause before the musical. I dashed away to get ready, feeling lightheaded and lighthearted.  
  
* * * *  
  
It was the morning after the musical and I felt like I was walking on air. Everything had gone great last night. I know it sounds totally geeky, but I actually sort of enjoyed the play in a strange way.  
  
It was winter break starting tomorrow so many people would be leaving tonight. I was staying over break, like usual. I loved winter break because there weren't any classes, everyone was more relaxed, and I had the whole castle pretty much to myself.  
  
I had gotten up before any of my friends so I decided to go down to the Great Hall to get breakfast by myself. As I entered, I looked for Hermione. I found her sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table, engrossed in a novel. I sat down across from her and waited for her to say something.  
  
"People can see," she told me quietly, without lifting her head from the book.  
  
"And that would ruin your reputation how?" I asked her playfully. Then I pointed to the book she was reading and inquired, "What's that?"  
  
She lifted the book up and showed me the cover, which declared To Kill a Mockingbird in big letter. (AUTHOR'S NOTE: That's a really cool book by the way. If you guys have the time, I highly suggest reading it!) "I'm reading all the books on my father's list of list of contemporary American literature," she told me.  
  
"And how many books are on this list?" I asked.  
  
"100," she told me calmly, going back to reading, "But then there's his British list and his European list."  
  
"So, is this on your list?" I asked, referring to her personal list she'd told me about previously, "To read all these books?"  
  
She went on reading without answering me. I could tell she wanted me to leave, but was too polite to say it.  
  
I sighed and pounded my fist on the table, "Hermione! I'm trying here, okay?" I told her angrily, "Maybe. maybe I miss spending time with you. Maybe you inspire me."  
  
She laughed but still didn't look up, "Sounds like bull."  
  
I was highly offended. No one told Harold James Potter that what he'd just said sounded like bull. "Which part?" I asked defensively.  
  
She slammed her book shut and replied while looking strait into my eyes, "All of it."  
  
"Well it's not," I responded pathetically.  
  
"Prove it," she said as she pushed away from the table and walked away crossly.  
  
I stood up quickly and chased after her yelling, "Hermione! Hermione!"  
  
She whipped around to face me and said scathingly, "You don't know the first thing about being a person's friend."  
  
I was frustrated. "I don't just want to be your friend," I told her.  
  
"You don't know what you want," she countered and walked away.  
  
"Neither do you," I called after her, "Maybe you're just too scared that someone might want to be with you."  
  
She stopped walking and turned toward me. "And why would that scare me?" she asked.  
  
I walked over to her and put my arms around her and said, "Because then you wouldn't be able to hide behind your books, or your freaking telescope. Or your faith." She tried to squirm away from my grasp, but I held on. "No, no. You know the real reason you're scared? It's because you want to be with me too."  
  
She looked up at me. I saw something flash in her eyes. It looked like a mixture of desire and disappointment. As if she wanted something she thought she could never have. I released her from my arms, letting her make her own decision. She walked away, toward Gryffindor tower. I sank down against a wall and buried my head in my hands, completely depressed.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: All right, there it is. Sorry it took so long to do. I have been so busy! But it'll all be over soon and then I can do like a post a day! (hopefully) Next chapter will be winter break. I can't wait! So review, review, review! I'd really like about ten reviews for this chapter because it took me a while to write, even though it's not that long. Well, that's all I can think of for now!  
  
THANK YOUS:  
  
-Sunny  
  
-hpdancer92  
  
-AllStar628  
  
-broadwaystr666 ~ thanks for another great review! You are so nice!  
  
-Mrs. Potter  
  
-kermittounette  
  
-Maggie O  
  
-HaRrY + HeRmIoNe-85 ~ I'm glad you like, and I know there's other stories like it. However, they don't own the rights to the story and neither do I. I'm sorry if it's been done already, but so have many other plots.  
  
-MissLexiRe  
  
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That's all for now!  
  
grahm_craker_gal 


	7. Chapter Seven

A Year To Remember - By grahm_craker_gal  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
It was Christmas break and I was taking full advantage of it. Ron and I were the only Gryffindors who had chosen to stay over break so we had all of Gryffindor tower to ourselves. I had brought all my brooms, I really had quite a collection you know, into the common room and was giving them a good fine tuning.  
  
Ron bounced down the steps, blasting the Weird Sisters from his new Wizard's Wireless. When he got down to the common room he began doing the robot. I looked over at him and said, "Come on man, some of us are trying to get some work done."  
  
Ron stopped dancing and incredulously asked me, "You ain't feelin' my groove here? All right let's see what jams you can bust out." Then he started flipping through my CD collection, which he had taken the liberty to bring down with him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I get that you ain't feelin' my beat, but, um, what the hell is this?"  
  
I looked over and saw him glaring at a disc titled Song to Sing Unto the Lord. "Oh, that," I said, "Hermione lent it to me."  
  
"Oh," Ron clarified, "so now she's got you listening to her people's music?"  
  
"Her people?" I asked confused. What the hell did that mean.  
  
"Yeah, the Bible-hugging, crucifix wearing, pray if you love Jesus people," Ron said.  
  
I glared at Ron, seeing what he was getting at, "She's not like that," I told him.  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence. Things were getting weird. It was never uncomfortable between me and Ron before. "You know, you, uh, got Ginny thinking that, well, that the little lip action between you and Jamie was, uh, was real." I stopped polishing the broomstick. I could tell that he was a bit angry with me for hurting his sister. Well, that was just too damn bad. "What's with you man?" Ron asked, "It's like you don't have time for your real friends anymore or something."  
  
"I don't know, man," I said, wiping my hands on my jeans and rising to leave, "I'm just over it. I'm sick and tired of doing the same old shit all the time."  
  
I walked all the way over to the base of the stairs before Ron said, "That girl's changed you and you don't even know it man..."  
  
I spun around, angry, and replied, "Hey, let me guess. Did Ginny say that?"  
  
"No," Ron said quietly, "I did."  
  
* * * *  
  
I decided I couldn't stick around Hogwarts with only Ron as company, I had to get away. I found Hermione's address in the school records. After that, I asked Dumbledore permission to visit her. He granted me it and congratulated me on a job well done in the play. With that taken care of, I got my favorite broom, packed a small sack with a present I had brought for her in it, and flew off towards her house.  
  
I found her home rather easily and quickly. I dismounted my broom, ran up the porch, and knocked on the door.  
  
Hermione answered it. "You," she said simply.  
  
"Me," I replied, holding up the small bag I had brought.  
  
"What is it?" she asked me, puzzled.  
  
"I got you something," I told her as I gave her the sack. She unwrapped it and pulled out a new sweater.  
  
"Thank you," she said sincerely, while draping it over her shoulders.  
  
We stood together for a few minutes, then I said, "Well, I should be getting back. I'll see at school."  
  
"Okay," she said softly walking back into the house.  
  
I flew away, happy, hoping our relationship might somehow be revived.  
  
* * * *  
  
(From Hermione's Point of View for a little change)  
  
After I went inside, I felt nearly ecstatic. I knew it was only a sweater, but it still made me happy. I looked down at the sweater. It was light pink and hand knitted, very soft. As I was admiring it, my father came in. He was a rather intimidating personage. He was a minister and very conservative. I knew from the way he was looking at me that he'd been watching from the kitchen window. "Hermione," he started, sounding as if he was trying his hardest to control his temper, "Boys like that... they have... they have expectations. You know the rules around here are not going to change."  
  
"Fine," I said softly, a little disappointed. Couldn't he ever just let me be happy for once?  
  
"Now you may not care what I say or think, but you should care about God's opinion," my father said sternly.  
  
I smiled a little, "I think God wants me to be happy," I said, knowing it wouldn't please my father. "It's only a sweater dad. I'm going to make us some dinner." I kissed him on the cheek and left for the kitchen. I knew he was going to be pouting for a while.  
  
* * * *  
  
(Back to Harry's Point of View)  
  
School was back in session. I hadn't seen much of Hermione since break, but that didn't upset me too much. I was now in a vacant classroom, studying for a Potions exam. I heard three people walk past realized who they were; Ron, Dean, and Ginny. I heard part of their conversation, which went approximately like this:  
  
"Well, that's because he's always with Hermione Granger. She was looking pretty hot in that play man. I don't know..." Said Ron loudly. Ron always talked loud.  
  
"She did not look hot," Ginny countered coldly.  
  
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she looked hot," said Dean stupidly. That's right, I thought, provoke the wild bitch.  
  
"Wait! I have the best idea!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
That was all I heard, but I was already afraid for Hermione. Ginny was vicious. I would've warned her but really, what could I say? 'Um, Hermione, be careful of Ginny because I think she's going to do something. I don't really know what, but something.' Oh yeah, that would have worked really well.  
  
* * * *  
  
(Back to Hermione's Point of View)  
  
It was Tuesday. So far things were pretty normal. I was heading for the Great Hall to get some lunch when Ginny, Lavender, and Pavarti approached me. "Hermione! Hi!" Screeched Pavarti in her high pitched voice.  
  
I turned around and greeted them with a polite, "Hi."  
  
"Listen," said Ginny, like I was her best friend, "I just wanted you to know, no hard feelings. Harry and I are way over."  
  
I was a bit confused. Everyone knew Ginny and Harry had gone out, I mean who HADN'T heard about the dramatic break-up? but what did that have to do with me? "I don't really know what you're talking about," I told her.  
  
Pavarti quickly changed the subject, "Hermione, you'd be so beautiful if you knew how to do your make up," she told me.  
  
Lavender nodded in agreement and asked, "Hey, why don't you eat lunch with us?"  
  
I nodded, bewildered as to why they were being so nice to me. It wasn't as if they'd been friendly to me before.  
  
"Want a tic-tack?" offered Pavarti.  
  
"No, I'm alright," I politely refused.  
  
"Alright, but they do wonders for your breath, not that you need it or anything," Pavarti explained as we entered the Hall. When we walked in there was an eerie silence and then an explosion of whispers and laughs. I decided to ignore it. We sat down at their normal place at Gryffindor table. On the table top were multiple fliers all with the same thing on them. It was a picture of me, completely nude, with the phrase "Bookworm? I think not!" placed just so it barely covered what it absolutely needed to. But the point was still made.  
  
"Is that you?" Ginny asked me innocently, "No wonder Harry likes you so much..."  
  
I couldn't believe it. I couldn't understand why they would do this to me! What had I ever done to them? I could hear everyone laughing at me and see everyone gazing at me like I was the slut of the century. I had to get away. I ran towards the doors, feeling like every second lasted a thousand years. Before I got out I ran into something. Or rather someone.  
  
* * * *  
  
(And now, Harry's point of view on the whole affair)  
  
As I was leaving Defense Against the Dark Arts, which I have right before lunch, I saw the flier. It was a picture of Hermione's head and some porn star's body. I couldn't believe Ginny had done this! I knew she was a bitch, but I hadn't expected something this bad, even from her. I knew I had to stop Hermione before she saw this. She would be devastated! I ran towards the Great Hall as fast as I could, but I could tell by the sound of laughter that I was too late. I ran in anyway, just as she was escaping. She ran right into me. I hugged her tightly and glanced down at her. The sight of her face broke my heart. Her eyes were full of shame, her cheeks were tear-stained, and her lower lip was trembling.  
  
"Look, this isn't about you, it's about me," I told her comfortingly. "Stay here," I begged as I walked over to my group of friends.  
  
Ron got up, with a flier in his hand, when he saw me coming. When I got within shouting range, he yelled, "Hey man, no wonder you were keeping her locked up. I had no I idea this was under all that!" Then he started laughing with about half of the hall.  
  
I shoved him angrily, knocking him down.  
  
"Stop it!" yelled Lavender, starting to get up to help Ron.  
  
"You stay out of this!" cried Dean, restraining her. I knew he just wanted to see a good fight.  
  
In the mean time, Ron had recovered and started at me again. I swung at him and hit him squarely in the jaw.  
  
"We're through!" spat Ron, clutching his face in pain.  
  
"Fine by me," I responded, walking back over towards Hermione, who was cowering near the doors.  
  
"We're through forever!" Ron yelled after me. I didn't even look back.  
  
I held Hermione in my arms. She seemed so fragile and breakable. "You okay?" I asked.  
  
She merely nodded. Ron continued yelling, "You made a mistake scarface!"  
  
I kept on ignoring him. "Let's get out of here," I said softly to Hermione.  
  
"Hey! Get back here you little chicken shit!" Ron screamed.  
  
"Wanna leave?" I asked. Hermione nodded again. I hugged her close to my side as we walked out of the Hall.  
  
* * * *  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: So ends this chapter. Sure hope you enjoyed it! Sorry for all the language, but really, he's a teenage guy, and teenage guys don't have the most pure vocabulary. Hope you liked it!  
  
THANK YOU'S:  
  
DreamSweeper - I totally forgot about the singing! Stupid me! I couldn't really incorporate it into this chapter, but I'll see what I can do later on!  
  
Mrs. Elaine Potter  
  
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delila-malfoy  
  
Fatima  
  
NickyGirl  
  
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Until next chapter,  
  
grahm_craker_gal 


	8. Chapter Eight

A Year To Remember - By grahm_craker_gal  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
(Harry's Point of View)  
  
Hermione and I were sitting contentedly by the Great Lake. After fleeing the Hall, I had led her over here because I always had found it calming.  
  
I looked over at her and saw a single tear streak down her face. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked her gently.  
  
She brushed the tear away quickly, almost as if she were embarrassed, and said, "Uh, um, I'm fine. Thank you for everything."  
  
"No," I began, "You're welcome."  
  
Hermione began to stand up slowly. I knew I had to ask now. "Hey, um, I want to ask you something," I told her, getting up to face her.  
  
"Okay," she said softly, smiling at me in that subtle way of hers.  
  
I had never had problems with girls before. I had never been shy or nervous around them. But Hermione was different. It took all my Gryffindor courage to stammer out, "Uh, will you, um, go out with me on Saturday night?"  
  
Hermione turned away from me and said, in set voice, "Um, I'm sorry. I can't go."  
  
I felt my heart drop. I wanted to curl up and die. Or maybe the ground would open up and suck me in. Anything, just to get away from her. But that wasn't really an option. I had to ask, "Oh! Um, so you have something else going on?"  
  
"No, it's not that," she told me.  
  
I was getting a little angry. Did she not like me? Did she still think I wasn't serious about her after what I had just done? Did she realize I had just ended an almost seven year friendship all for her? "Well, then what is it?" I asked her a bit crossly.  
  
"I'm not allowed to date," she said quietly. Then she walked back towards the castle, glancing back at me sadly.  
  
* * * *  
  
I knew there had to be some way to get around this obstacle. I had an idea. I knew that if I had Hermione's father's permission, we could go out. So, asked Dumbledore if I could fly over to Hermione's house again. He, of course, consented and said he thoroughly approved of my relationship with Miss Granger and thought she would be a positive influence on me.  
  
I flew over to the house and knocked on the door. I waited for a while, but no one answered. I tried opening the door, and it worked. So I stepped inside the house cautiously.  
  
I saw Hermione's father before he noticed me. He was sitting on a couch, reading a bible. He looked up when he heard me clear my throat. "Can I help you?" he asked briskly.  
  
"Uh, yes sir," I said in what I hoped he perceived as a polite and respectable manner, "I'd like to ask your daughter out for dinner this Saturday night."  
  
"That's not possible," he told me, and then he picked up his bible and began reading again.  
  
I took a deep breath. I hadn't expected him to say no. I had thought that he would be so impressed that I had asked that he would just say yes automatically. But then again, I didn't really know Hermione's father. "With all due respect, Mr. Granger," I began carefully, "I ask you to reconsider."  
  
He didn't even look up. "With all due respect, Mr. Potter," he countered, "I have made my decision. You may exit the way you entered."  
  
I stopped trying to be polite, because that obviously wasn't working. "Look," I said to him, "I'm sorry if I haven't treated Hermione the way I should have. She deserves more than what I've given her. I am just asking you for the very thing that is the central theme of that bible that you're reading, and that's faith." With that, I turned around and left quickly as Mr. Granger looked at my quizzically.  
  
* * * *  
  
(Just to clarify, sixth and seventh years may go on dates on Friday or Saturday nights)  
  
A few days after my visit with Mr. Granger, I got an owl from him stating that after much careful consideration, he had decided to allow Hermione to go with me this Saturday. I was ecstatic! I had left his house without a hope of dating Hermione, but something I had said convinced him.  
  
Today was Saturday and I had spent almost the whole day worrying, looking forward to, and thinking about our date. And now it was time! We had agreed to meet at Hogsmeade, in front of Tutti Mangi, a high-end Italian restaurant. I got there a little early (okay, half an hour.) and I had been pacing in front of the restaurant nervously as I waited for Hermione. She showed up suddenly, looking beautiful. She was wearing a light, baby pink dress and the sweater that I had given her. I didn't think she could look more gorgeous.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Is everything alright?" asked our snooty waiter as he passed by.  
  
"Uh?" Asked Hermione, a little out of it, and then regaining her senses said, "Oh yes, it's great, thank you."  
  
"Yeah, thanks," I echoed.  
  
The waiter left, starring at us strangely. He probably thought it was odd that the famous Harry Potter was out with someone like Hermione, but I didn't care.  
  
"Do you want to dance?" Hermione asked after a few minutes, gesturing over to the dance floor near their table.  
  
I nearly choked! Me? Dance? I think not! "Uh, sorry. I don't dance," I told her.  
  
"Well, me neither. I mean, not usually in front of anyone," she responded.  
  
"Well, no. I mean. I don't. at all. As in I can't," I stammered.  
  
Hermione smiled humorously, "Everybody can dance. Come on, you can't be that bad. Please? For me?" she begged.  
  
I sighed but got up and followed her on to the dance floor reluctantly. It was a slow song and we were doing alright until I, clumsily, stepped on her foot.  
  
"Ooof!" she exclaimed, still smiling.  
  
"Sorry," I said sympathetically, "But I told you I was bad at this."  
  
"In all fairness, I suppose you did warn me," she joked. We laughed and continued to dance.  
  
"So, what's number one on your list?" I asked her. She shook her head, signaling that she wasn't going to tell. "All right," I continued, "My number one is getting out of Hogwarts."  
  
She looked up at me and said sincerely, "I don't think getting out is going to be the problem. It's more like figuring out what to do when you do get out."  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused by this slightly cryptic message.  
  
"I mean, you can do anything!" she told me as she danced a little closer.  
  
* * * *  
  
After we left the restaurant, I had a great idea. We stopped back at Hogwarts where I picked up my broom and then, after much convincing, I got Hermione to join me on a ride.  
  
"Where are we going?" she asked after about twenty minutes.  
  
"Hold on, you'll see," I told her mysteriously.  
  
I touched down on a deserted strip of road and helped her off the broom. "What are we doing?" she asked.  
  
I didn't respond. I just took her hand and led her to the middle of the street. "Okay, okay, uh, stand right there," I instructed.  
  
She complied, saying "Alright."  
  
"One foot there, and one foot here," I directed her.  
  
"Okay," she said moving her feet, "You're acting like a crazy person. What's going on here?"  
  
"Okay," I told her finally, "You're straddling the border."  
  
"Okay," she said nodding her head slowly, as if she expected me to go on.  
  
"You're in two places at once!" I exclaimed, as if it should have been obvious.  
  
Realization dawned on her face and she smiled widely and hugged me tightly.  
  
* * * *  
  
I had just flown us to a city and ran inside a shop to buy a set of temporary tattoos. I had left Hermione seated outside, and I ran back to her after I was done purchasing. "Butterfly, rosebud, or star?" I asked her when I got to her.  
  
"Butterfly, please," she said softly.  
  
"Okay," I said, "So, where do you want it?"  
  
She took off her sweater, revealing her shoulder and pointed at the spot on the backside of her it while saying, "Right here."  
  
"Okay," I said, applying the tattoo to the indicated spot. She smiled at me and I felt my heart leap with satisfaction.  
  
* * * *  
  
Eventually, I knew it was time to get back. We flew to Hogwarts and walked through the castle hand in hand. We were right in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady when I turned to her and said, after gazing into her eyes for a few moments, "I might kiss you now."  
  
"I might be bad at it," she replied, nervously, but without breaking eye contact.  
  
I smiled at her embarrassment and responded as I leaned towards her, "That's not possible."  
  
When my lips met hers, it was like everything inside of me just came together. Like, she somehow completed me.  
  
"Hermione, I love you," I said sincerely. She didn't respond. She just broke away from me and backed up a step. "Now would be a good time to say something," I said awkwardly.  
  
She stepped towards me slowly and when she was standing so close to me that I could nearly feel her heart beating she said softly, "I told you not to fall in love with me." Then she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed me gently.  
  
* * * *  
  
We walked through the portrait together and were met by a concerned looking McGonagal. "Miss Granger!" she exclaimed upon seeing us, "Say goodnight to Mr. Potter. Harry, go to your room, the night's over."  
  
I turned to Hermione and said tenderly, "Goodnight."  
  
She echoed me and I said good night to the professor. Then I walked up the stairs, as if I was going to my dorm. Then, when I was sure I couldn't be seen, I hid and listened to what they were saying.  
  
"Hermione, you're behaving sinfully," McGonagal started harshly, "You're, you're acting like that boy and you are."  
  
"In love?" suggested Hermione. I smiled at that.  
  
"Hermione, you're a child," argued the professor.  
  
"Minerva, look at me. I'm not a child any more!" Hermione cried. Since when were Hermione and professor McGonagal on first name terms? I wondered.  
  
"Then stop acting childish," she reprimanded.  
  
"I love him," Hermione said quietly. I wanted to shout for joy when I heard her.  
  
"Then be fair to him Hermione," said the professor more softly, "before things get worse."  
  
I crept back to my dorm, confused and blissful all at once.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
  
All right, that's that. I know, quick update, but schools kind of winding down and I was bored, so here it is! Next chapter will be very eventful, so stay tuned. Also, if you want the next chapter soon, PLEASE REVIEW because I would like at least ten reviews of this chapter!  
  
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think it's sort of funny, too!  
  
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- broadwaystr666 - Thanks for another great review. I'm glad you  
liked the last chapter, I hope you like this one just as much. By the  
way, I will definitely start a new fic when I finish this one, I  
already have a bunch of ideas!  
  
- AllStar628 - Ahh darn, another error! Thanks for telling me. You  
see, I'm looking on the script while I'm writing this, so it gets a  
little complicated for my small brain. I'm just not good at  
multitasking I guess!  
  
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That's it for now,  
  
'til next chapter,  
  
grahm_craker_gal 


	9. Chapter Nine

A Year To Remember - By grahm_craker_gal  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. By the way, in this story, Sirius has been cleared of all charges.  
  
It was three days since our last date, and this morning Hermione had slipped me a note telling me to meet her in the Astronomy Tower at ten o'clock. At 9:45 I slipped on my invisibility cloak and ventured up to the tower. I opened the door to find Hermione fiddling with a telescope, focusing it somewhere far away from Earth.  
  
"Hey," I said, pulling off the cloak.  
  
"Hey," she replied, abandoning the telescope momentarily to give me a quick kiss. "So, what do you want to see?" she asked me.  
  
"Um," I stalled, thinking, "Pluto?"  
  
Hermione chuckled a little before saying, "Pluto only rises a few minutes before the Sun."  
  
"Right," I confirmed, "And I brought a big thermos of hot coffee, and, uh, a blanket."  
  
"You were planning to stay long?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"Oh no," I responded, "I only hoped for it."  
  
"Are you trying to seduce me?" she asked, suddenly serious, backing away a bit.  
  
"Why? Are you seducible?" I asked jokingly. She shook her head vehemently. "That's what I thought," I reassured her as I pulled out another blanket, "Here you go, a second blanket. One for you and one for me."  
  
"Thank you," she said smiling genuinely.  
  
After getting situated and set up, I pulled out a map and pointed a point on it while I asked her, "Can you find this star? Right here?"  
  
She went over to her telescope, taking the map with her as she focused it. "So, why am I looking for this star?" she questioned.  
  
"Because I had it named for you," I said simply, pulling out another piece of paper.  
  
Hermione looked up from her perch by the telescope, surprised. I walked over and showed her the certificate, explaining, "See, it's official. It's from the international star registry."  
  
Hermione smiled broadly and hugged me exclaiming, "It's wonderful!" Then she looked up into my eyes and said seriously, "I love you Harry Potter." I leaned in and kissed her softly.  
  
I thought my heart was going to explode with happiness. I could have stayed with her like that forever. As we were embracing, I led her gently towards the blankets I'd set up earlier. It wasn't until we were lying down that I realized what I was doing and pulled away. "Okay, okay, okay. I'm stopping," I said responsibly but reluctantly. We stayed there for a while. I was content to just look at her. "What's your number one?" I asked after some time.  
  
She paused before responding, as if deciding whether or not to tell me. "To marry in the church where my mother grew up. It's where my parents were married," she said slowly and carefully.  
  
I was touched. Leave it to Hermione to surprise you with something sentimental. I leaned forward an kissed her cheek quickly. I knew if I did anything more I might not be able to stop myself.  
  
* * * *  
  
Because of Dumbledore's special relationship with Sirius, I was allowed to visit my godfather pretty much whenever I wanted. I decided to spend the weekend with him up at his country house. It was Sunday morning and I woke up late and trailed into the kitchen for breakfast. "Hey," I said, greeting Sirius who was attempting to make breakfast.  
  
"Did you just get up?" he asked without looking up from the stove.  
  
"Yeah," I answered, plopping myself down in an easy chair and skimming the front page of the Daily Prophet.  
  
Sirius finished with breakfast and sat down across from me, presenting me with a plateful of breakfast foods. "Are you still Hermione?" he asked as he stole the paper from me.  
  
"Yeah," I said, my mouth full of food, but I knew I didn't have to be polite in front of Sirius.  
  
"Harry, be careful," he told me parentally. Sirius almost never acted this way. He always behaved more like a friend than a father. "She's, she's, well, fragile," he continued.  
  
"It's different with her, okay?" I responded, hoping to close the subject.  
  
"Different with her?" Sirius repeated skeptically.  
  
"Yes," I said uncomfortably, really hoping Sirius would start eating and forget about it.  
  
"It better be different with her," he persisted, "I was picking up your clothes last night and I found this," he told me, pulling out a list. I realized what it was immediately and my cheeks flushed. He read off some of the list, "Examine a moon rock. Go to a magical university. Make a medical discovery." There was an awkward silence. "Harry. These are cool ambitions, but. They're. Your going to have to work really hard." Sirius finished lamely.  
  
I frowned into my breakfast. "I can do that," I assured him.  
  
"Yeah you can," he said, as if he weren't totally convinced.  
  
I looked at him seriously and said solemnly, "Sirius, Hermione has faith in me, you know? She makes me want to be. different. Better.  
  
* * * *  
  
It was Saturday evening, a few weeks later. I had taken Hermione out to dinner and we were now walking around Hogsmeade. "You worried about your college applications?" I asked. I had decided on applying to magical universities and the applications were seriously strenuous.  
  
"No, I'm not applying to college," she said.  
  
I was surprised. Hermione? Not go to college? But she was the brightest person at all of Hogwarts! "But you said." I started bewilderedly.  
  
"No, you assumed," she interrupted.  
  
"Are you going to take a year off? Try the peace corp thing?" I asked.  
  
"No," she said quietly.  
  
"Well, then what are you going to do?" I asked, confused.  
  
Her eyes were teary as she looked me in the eye and responded, "Harry, I'm sick."  
  
"I'll, I'll take you back to Hogwarts. You'll be better tomorrow," I told her, taking her arm to lead her back.  
  
She stayed put stubbornly. "No.Harry! I'm sick!" she exclaimed as if she expected me to pick up the meaning of this. When she saw I didn't understand she explained, "I have Leukemia."  
  
I couldn't believe it. I didn't WANT to believe it. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. "No, you're eight... you're eighteen," I chocked, "You. You're perfect."  
  
"No," she countered, "I found out two years ago and I've stopped responding to treatments."  
  
I was angry. Actually I was furious. How could she have kept this from me? "So why didn't you tell me?" I inquired fiercely.  
  
"The doctors said I should go on and live my life normally as best I could," she said calmly, "I didn't want anyone to be weird around me."  
  
"Including me?" I nearly yelled.  
  
Tears were now steaming down her face silently. "Especially you," she said softly, "You know I was getting along with everything just fine. I accepted it. And then you happened. I do not need a reason to be angry with God." A sob shook her body and she ran away leaving me speechless.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
  
Oh! She told him! Yikes! Well, I'm sorry it's been so long but a lot has happened in the last few days. I've been to the emergency room and Las Vegas in the same week, imagine that! Also, I had a problem with Fanfiction.net which was being weird and I had trouble posting. I'm sorry if I didn't thank you in this chapter, but, like I said, Fanfiction.net was being problematic and won't show all the reviews, so your thank-you is coming!  
  
THANK YOUS:  
  
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Maggie O - Something has to be fluffy! I don't know about a sequel, that could be interesting!  
  
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Until next chapter,  
  
Grahm_craker_gal 


	10. Chapter Ten

A Year To Remember - By grahm_craker_gal  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
DISCLAIMER: Sirius is a medi-wizard now because it fits well in my story. I have no idea what is real profession was or will be, but for this story he's like the magic form of a doctor. Just wanted to let you know!  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
I roamed around Hogsmeade for a couple of hours after Hermione had told me the truth. Confusing thoughts were darting through my head randomly. After aimless wandering I remembered that Sirius was a medi-wizard by profession. He had gotten his degree before he was sent to Azkaban and had started his own practice after being released. I went into a shop where you could safely use floo network. As I jogged to the shop, I silently cursed myself for not learning to apparate yet because I knew it would cost me an arm and a leg to floo.  
  
When I got to the shop I paid the owner the cost of flooing and of the powder. Then I stepped into the fireplace and clearly said, "Sirius's house."  
  
I landed in Sirius's fireplace. After brushing myself off and climbing out, I yelled into the quiet house, "Sirius, you here?"  
  
For a few minutes there was silence. Then I heard Sirius plodding down the hall to investigate the noise. "Harry?" He greeted me curiously, sounding exhausted.  
  
"I need your help," I said blatantly.  
  
Sirius looked confused. As he examined me, looking for injury, he asked, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"  
  
"It's Hermione. She's." I struggled, not wanting to say it because saying it would make it more real. I continued, "She's got Cancer. And I need you to see her right now," I finished, probably sounding like a lunatic.  
  
"Okay, you need to calm down," Sirius said evenly as he gently pushed me into a chair.  
  
I stood up angrily and exploded, "Will you help her or not?" I asked, yelling.  
  
"I don't." Sirius tried to find the right words as he tried once again to get me back into the chair, "I don't know her case. I don't know her history. I'd have to talk to her physician. I don't deal with that sort of thing, Harry. I can't."  
  
I stalked over to the fireplace while saying furiously, "You know what? Forget it. I knew it." Then I spat into the fire, "Gryffindor common room," flicking the floo powder I had purchased around me.  
  
Before I swirled away, I heard Sirius plead to no avail, "Would you wait? Harry! Wait!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
I stumbled out of the fireplace, tears flowing, in a very unmanly manner, down my face as I attempted to wipe them away. I jogged up to my room and collapsed on my bed, exhausted. But as tired as I was, I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
It was two whole days since that fateful night. I still couldn't bear to talk to Hermione who had avoided me like the plague. I was sitting on my bed, head in hands when Ron came in. We were the only two people in the room and I expected him to either pass by with a word or say something nasty to me. But he didn't. He stopped right in front of me and said quietly, sounding very uncomfortable, and said, "Hey, Sirius wrote to me. He told me, man."  
  
"Told you what?" I asked disinterestedly, not looking up.  
  
Ron flinched and shifted his weight from foot to foot. "About you, about Hermione," Ron hinted awkwardly.  
  
"What's there to tell?" I asked rhetorically keeping my head down to hide the tears welling in my eyes, "She's the best person I've ever known."  
  
"I didn't understand," Ron said regretful. I looked up at him and saw that he was being sincere. He wasn't trying to excuse his actions, just to apologize for them.  
  
"It's okay, man," I said holding my hand to for him to shake, "It's okay."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
It had been a week since Hermione had been to class or I had seen her. I decided to go see her. Turning the doorknob and walking into that room was one of the hardest things I ever did. But it was worth it. When she saw me, Hermione gave me one of her shy half-smiles. I just stood there with for a while. She was in her bed, looking pale and sickly but still beautiful. After a while she said softly, "I'm. I'm sorry. I really should have told you sooner."  
  
"No," I said shaking my head. I suddenly felt horrible about all the things I'd made her do, "I made you do too many things. I kept you out."  
  
She put her hand on my arm comfortingly and interrupted, "No, no. If anything, you kept me healthy longer."  
  
I stared down at her, lost in her chocolate brown eyes. I felt an inexplicable wave of sadness. I suddenly realized that Hermione wouldn't be here for long. "Are you scared?" I asked her nervously.  
  
"To death," she joked, I frowned. "C'mon, lighten up," she encouraged.  
  
"It's not funny," I said sternly.  
  
I bent down and pressed my forehead to hers. I looked into her eyes, which were full of fear. "I'm scared of not being with you," she whispered.  
  
I lied down next to her and hugged her tightly. "Oh baby, that'll never happen. I'll be right here," I comforted her.  
  
Just then McGonagal walked in. "Hermione!" the professor exclaimed sharply, "What is that boy doing here?"  
  
I felt her go body go limp before I saw it. McGonagal rushed towards the bed and yelled at me to help her get Hermione down to the hospital wing.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
It was a whole day since Hermione had passed out. She was conscious now, but very weak. I hadn't left the hospital wing at all and the little bits of sleep I had gotten were fitful and restless. I was sitting by her bed when her father walked in I assumed that he had been notified of her condition and had come to see her. "Harry, one moment please," he said to me, wanting to have some time alone with Hermione. I got up groggily and kissed Hermione's hand. "I just need a minute with her," he said.  
  
I walked away, looking back at Hermione as I told her, "I'll be back, okay?"  
  
"Okay," she accepted.  
  
I left her small room and stood outside the closed door. The walls were paper thin, so I heard their conversation.  
  
"Daddy, so serious," Jamie said in mock solemnity.  
  
"Do you remember when you were about five or six?" her father asked, "And you said you hated gravity and you wanted to jump off the roof and fly?" Hermione laughed and I felt momentary bliss. I chuckled a bit at this myself, imagining a adolescent Hermione trying to fly.  
  
"I was so angry at you for making me come down," Hermione remembered.  
  
"Honey," I could here Hermione's father trying to hold off tears, "If I kept you too close, it's just because I wanted to keep you longer."  
  
"Dad." Hermione started in reproachfully.  
  
"You know, when I lost your mother, I was afraid my heart would never open again," her father reminisced, "Hermione, I couldn't look at you for days. But then."  
  
"I love you so much."  
  
I wished I could here her say that to me.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
I was sitting in the common room, trying to focus on an essay for Transfiguration. After a week Dumbledore had gently reminded me that I still had to attend class. I, somewhat reluctantly, took the hint and was now buried with extra homework and missed assignments. As I was rewording a few sentences, Ginny stopped in front of me and said, more nervous than I'd ever seen her, "Hi,"  
  
I looked up, startled and displease. Ginny hadn't been one of my favorite people since we broke up. "Hey," I greeted her, reservedly, looking back down at my essay.  
  
"I, uh, wanted to give you these," she explained, handing me a small package, "They're pictures from the play." I flipped through them, seeing moving images of Hermione and I. "I. I'm sorry about the fliers," she blurted out. She was wringing her hands anxiously and I could tell that she needed to be forgiven.  
  
"Hey, it doesn't matter," I told her, sensing her calming down immediately.  
  
"Yeah," she responded. "I guess you're with who you should be. It's like she choose you," Ginny said, after a long pause.  
  
"Yeah, and I don't even know why," I replied truthfully.  
  
"I do," Ginny said regretfully, tears threatening to pour out. Then she kissed me softly on the cheek and walked away.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
I had been checking in with Hermione religiously. Today was no different. "How are you feeling?" I asked when I entered her room.  
  
"I'm okay. How're you?" she inquired.  
  
"Pretty good," I responded, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.  
  
"I have something for you," she told me, pulling up a bag and sorting through it's contents before pulling out a book, "Don't worry, it's not a bible," she said dispelling my secret fears, "It was my mother's. It's got all of her favorite quotes from books or people or just some of her own thoughts or ramblings."  
  
"Okay, let's check it out," I said, opening to the first page picking a random quote. "What is a friend? A friend is a single soul dwelling in two bodies. Aristole." I read.  
  
"Uh, here," she said pointing to a quote.  
  
I read the quote she instructed me to, "Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish," Hermione, with her eyes closed, recited the last part with me, "It does not take offense and is not resentful."  
  
"You know what I figured out today?" she asked me after a few minutes.  
  
"What?" I asked curiously.  
  
"Maybe God has a bigger plan for me than I had for myself. Like the journey never ends. Like you were sent to me because I'm sick. To help me through all this," she told me. I sincerely doubted that I was anything remotely close to an angel, but I thought it was sweet and comforting.  
  
I leaned down and kissed her as I said, "You're my angel."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
  
Okay, yeah! I'm off school finally, so I have more time to write! Sorry for the gap between updates, but I've been lazy and this chapter took a while. I know the end is a bit fluffy, but oh well! I'll be gone for a (really short) trip, so don't expect any ultra-quick updates, but I'd love to come back and be surprised by a whole bunch of reviews! (hint, hint)  
  
THANK YOUS:  
  
Delila-malfoy  
  
Ramy - Wow! That's like the most reviews at one time ever. It was my pleasure to give you a special thank you!  
  
Fatima  
  
Sunny  
  
Flippin' Mental - I would love to read your story, I've just been major- league busy for the past few weeks. I'll read it, but it may take me some time!  
  
David M. Potter  
  
Cookielover87  
  
SPECIAL THANK-YOU:  
  
LOTR-Freak  
  
Who put me on her favorites list!  
  
Well, please review!  
  
That's all for now,  
  
Until next update,  
  
grahm_craker_gal 


	11. Chapter Eleven

BRIEF AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the pause between updates, but I was gone, then I started summer school, and then I just HAD TO finish HP5! It was so sad *sob* but for the purposes of this story, I'm keeping Sirius alive. Also, this is going to be the last chapter, so I hope you like it!  
  
I was pounding away at what I hoped was going to be a telescope furiously when Hagrid came out of his hut.  
  
"'Ow are ye, 'arry?" Hagrid asked me, carring two cups of tea out with him.  
  
"Fine," I replied, not halting my work, "Listen, I've got to finish this tonight."  
  
Hagrid handed me one of the cups and said, "'ere's somethin' hot." I looked up, surprised and took the cup gratefully. I had been working so hard that I'd skipped all my meals today. "Do ye think ye'll 'ave it done by t'night?" he asked conversationally.  
  
I looked up at the quickly darkening sky and said, "I sure hope so."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
I had, miraculously, managed to finish the telescope in time. I had pleaded with Madame Pompfrey to let Hermione out for the evening. After much begging, she relented and let me take Hermione up to the astronomy tower. When I had walked over to Hermione's bed, she had expressed disappointment that she wouldn't be able to see the comet Haikutaki tonight. I smiled to myself and told her that we had a date at eleven.  
  
Since it was the last days of school, teachers were relaxing their restrictions, especially for seventh years. We were allowed to be around the castle at all hours of the night, so long as we kept it down and didn't disturb anyone.  
  
So, at eleven o'clock on the dot, I picked up Hermione and walked her slowly up towards the astronomy tower. I opened the door and revealed the telescope I made especially for her to see the comet. Hermione gasped and then said sincerely, "Thank you, it's wonderful!"  
  
"Okay, it's time," I said checking my watch as I encouraged her, "Go check it out."  
  
"Alright," she complied. I helped her across the room and waited for her reaction as she stared into the telescope. "Wow! There it is!" she breathed, lost in her own world. "Come here! Come look, quick!" she said, inviting me to have a view.  
  
I leaned into see it and saw what looked like a fiery ball of light streaking across the sky. "It's cool," I said awestruck. We walked away and sat down on a blanket I had prepared. "Do you love me?" I asked her.  
  
She said, quite simply, "More than anything."  
  
"And you'd do anything for me?" I inquired.  
  
"Anything," she responded, looking into my eyes.  
  
"Then will you marry me?" I asked, nervously. Hermione looked momentarily shocked, but then smiled and leaned forward to give me a deep, passionate kiss. It was all the assurance I needed.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Our wedding was set for the day after graduation. We arranged to be married in the church where her parents had and today was the big day. I stood at the alter, nervous as hell. Then, the church doors opened and Hermione walked in on the arm of her father. She looked angelic. My breath caught in my throat and I kept thinking that either I was the luckiest man alive or that she wasn't really marrying me because I didn't deserve her at all. But sure enough, she stopped in front of the alter and looked at me with love in her eyes.  
  
"Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous," began the reverend. We whispered I love you to one another so quietly that only the two of us could hear it. "Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and it is not resentful," he proceeded, "Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope and endure whatever comes."  
  
The minister paused and then said, "Mr. Potter, will continue now with his vow."  
  
"I, Harold James Potter, do solemnly swear to have and hold Hermione Anne Granger as my lawfully wedded wife. To honor and to cherish her all the days of my life." I frowned slightly at the last part, knowing those days wouldn't be many, but nothing could permanently take away my happiness that day.  
  
"Now, then," the priest interjected, "It will be Ms. Granger's turn to recite her vow."  
  
"I, Hermione Anne Granger," she began as I smiled down at her, "do solemnly swear to have and to hold Harold James Potter as my lawfully wedded husband. To honor and to cherish him all the days of my life."  
  
We slipped the rings on each other's finger's and the reverend declared, "You may now kiss the bride!"  
  
We leaned forward towards each other and kissed. It was one of the most sincere, romantic, earth shattering things I've ever experienced.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
(Harry's Point of View, Four Years Later)  
  
Hermione and I had a perfect summer together with more love than most people know in a lifetime. We were supremely happy. Then, as summer gently changed to autumn, Hermione went to God, with her unfailing faith. Do I ever regret it? Sometimes I do wish she was here, but I never regret anything else. I'm happy I got to spend as much time as I did with her. I remember one evening, a few months after Hermione passed away, Sirius told me he was sorry that I never got the miracle I was hoping for. I told him that I did. Hermione was my miracle. Even though we had such a relatively short time together, it has changed my life forever. Hermione saved my life, she taught me everything. About life, about hope, and about the long journey ahead. I'll always miss Hermione, but her love is like the wind, I suppose. I can't see it, but I can feel it.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
  
Alright, there it is, hope you liked it! I'm sorry I had to kill Hermione, but it was the only way it would feel right for me. So for those people who have been telling me not to let her die, I'm sorry, but that's the way I needed it to be. I'm sure I'll get some flames, but please think before you attack. I really don't think this needed to be a Hollywood ending. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you're what kept me writing. Please look for other stories I write in the future, I hope you enjoyed this one!  
  
THANK'S TO:  
  
By, the way, I'm sorry if I don't mention you, but I'm having some problems seeing my reviews on fanfiction.net  
  
- Draco is the man  
  
- K.D. Tolling (twice as nice!)  
  
- AllStar628 (twice as nice!)  
  
- Maggie O (twice as nice!)  
  
- Bonnie Yang  
  
- Tom-Lovers  
  
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- cookielover87 (twice as nice!)  
  
- Ramy  
  
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- MaRiAn the LiBrArIaN  
  
- delila-malfoy  
  
SPECIAL THANKS TO: K.D. Tolling  
  
and  
  
Tom-Lovers  
  
for putting me on their favorite's list. A big huge THANKS to you two!  
  
Well, happy reading,  
  
grahm_craker_gal 


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